USC is expected to be without top prospect Alijah Arenas next year.
Arenas, the son of former Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas, suffered a torn meniscus on Wednesday, as reported byinsider Chris Haynes. The school confirmedThat Arenas experienced a knee injury, and mentioned that he would be sidelined for six to eight months during recovery — which threatens his entire 2025-26 season.
The harm occurred just a few months afterArenas was involved in a car accident and was put into a medically induced coma.He collided his Tesla Cybertruck with a fire hydrant and a tree in Southern California in April while returning from the gym. He disclosed last month that he was actually trapped inside for almost 10 minutes as the vehicle caught fire, and had difficulty getting out. In the end, he managed to break through the driver’s side window and escape.
Arenas was considered stable at the accident site, yet he was transported to a nearby hospital and later put into a medically induced coma because of smoke inhalation. He remained in the hospital for six days but did not suffer significant injuries.
Arenas is a five-star prospect ranked by Rivals.com, hailing from Chatsworth High School in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. He played a key role in taking the school to the CIF Division II state championship game in March, and he finished as the top scorer in L.A. City Section history. He received scholarship offers from several elite basketball programs, such as Kansas and Kentucky, before ultimately choosing USC.
The Trojans finished with a record of 17-18 during the previous season, which marked the first year under new head coach Eric Musselman, and they failed to make the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year. Arenas was one of two players who pledged to join the Trojans this off-season, alongside four-star guard Jerry Easter.
